Supernatural Games (12 page)

One universe down and three more to go. I knew the others wouldn’t be as simple, but I might be getting ahead of myself. We had a debriefing session scheduled after comfirming all competitors were accounted for. I knew of only one injury. The lycan had a run-in with the piranhas. He would live but would probably need to be replaced. I made my way back to the Four-Courts and went to look for my team. I dropped my shield once I returned safely to the conference room.

“Darn it, Lauren, you are going to give me a heart attack,” Jason grumbled.

“I say we put a bell on her.”

“Tokem, make my day and try.”

“I am so scared, Clinterina.”

“If you two are finished we have work to do,” Jason said. “Tokem, this was your universe; why don’t you begin?”

“We are still tallying up the points assessed to each participant. The wizard won the final challenge and is in first place unless we find any violations. There was one injury. The lycan offered two toes to the piranhas. He has been replaced and will eventually regenerate the toes.”

“Did anyone see anything the design team didn’t put in the original plans?” Jason asked.

No one spoke for a time until Corbin asked Jason a question.

“I didn’t find the runes we spotted earlier. Did any of you or the design team clean those up?”

“The design team couldn’t have. They’ve been under guard since before the games started. Did anyone here?”

“I saw them on our previous visit, and I didn’t remove them. They were there when I blew up the jaguar on my way underground.”

Traygen spoke up. “The only ones who could have taken them out would be you and Jason. I am guessing neither of you did, which means the person or persons that put them there did. Which begs the question of why and why now? Maybe they thought we were getting close to discovering their identities.”

“Tokem, have you or anyone on your team had time to check the camera footage to see if the spy has been around, and check the other surveillance feeds?”

“Not yet, but I’ll get right on it. I’ll report in as soon as we review everything,” he added as he flew from the room.

“
W
e may as well review universe number two if you are ready, Corbin.”

“I am. As everyone already knows, it is in the desert. It is a cross between the sets of Dune and The Mummy. I’m having our team sweep it before tomorrow’s games. We’ll also have them check for the runes we spotted earlier.”

We went over our individual assignments for the next day, then reviewed the four challenges the design team had put in place. Corbin was right about the Dune and Mummy analogies. This place had sand storms, demonic worms and scorpions, and a desert fortress, which had more ways to discourage invaders than the temple. It would be a miracle if no one lost their life. I had the final challenge again, and was tempted to check it out, but before I could, Tokem reported that he hadn’t overheard any new conversations, but our spy was still moving among us.

I didn’t like that one bit. There had to be a way to detect our unwanted guest without moving our entire operation to council’s headquarters. There might be a way if I could get the right spell. I transported myself back to my office and studied my Grimoires. If I could veil a room in the building, maybe we wouldn’t be exposed to undetected intrusions. I read on until I found what I was looking for, then went to work. I assembled the necessary ingredients and began to work the spell. It took me a while to get it right, but it was worth it. Now we would not be spied upon without us knowing it. Plus, I had a special surprise for the team and the spy.

I transported back to the Four Courts to gather our team. Once everyone arrived, I passed a note to each of them with instructions. They read them, looked at me like I was crazy, then we all filed out. I went ahead to make preparations. They would join me in half an hour, giving me plenty of time to set things up. I moved out into the gardens and walked steadily through them until I reached the quay on the eastern side of the Four-Courts. I had cloaked myself to be certain I wasn’t followed. Then I drew my circle, stepped into it, and surrounded it with salt.

Next, I worked the spell I’d prepared earlier. I drew a circle on the side of the stone wall that held the river in its banks. Then I created a small pocket room under the river. I walked in, sealed the room behind me, and expanded the space until it was large enough to hold the entire team. I added a shower of running water at the entryway and surrounded the floor around it with sand. Satisfied, I went to get my team. They were waiting for me at the entrance to the small pocket I created in the river’s bottom. I asked them to come cloaked and have their protective shields up. It took only a matter of minutes to move everyone inside and seal in. Then everyone dropped their cloaking spells and we got to work.

“You’ve outdone yourself this time. Neat idea and the water shower and sand are nice touches,” Tokem added.

“Yes, if our spy manages to get in here, he will leave footprints and we can grab him. I have something else for everyone to use. I’ve made your amulets specific to each of you. If you notice Tokem, yours has a sprite on it, Corbin’s a bat, and Traygen’s a dragon.”

“Yeah, but what is surrounding it?” Tokem asked.

“My Uroborus bracelet.”

“Lauren, I’m touched but you know I don’t…”

“Relax, Tokem, it isn’t a feminine symbol, and besides, it is a portal to me. If you get in trouble, open it and call for me. Are we ready for tomorrow’s second challenge? Corbin, anything new to report?”

“No, we’re set. I’ll cover the first challenge and Tokem will handle the second, Traygen the third, and you have the final one. We will again remain invisible, keeping an eye out for the familiars and the runes.”

“Jason, have you heard anything from any of the delegates?”

“The lycan are grumbling, but were warned about all the hazarders. Just stay alert because whoever is trying to sabotage these games is still running loose.”

Traygen and I headed home for a little rest before tomorrow’s second challenge. We didn’t get much rest but it was worth it. Apparently, my favorite dragon liked the idea of me opening a special portal for him to transport through. By the time we showered and dressed for our desert excursion, it was time to teleport back to the Four-Courts.

“I see some of our team didn’t get much rest,” Tokem quipped.

“They’re newlyweds. Give them a break or find your own little sprite.”

“If you two are finished, let’s get down to business. We will follow yesterday’s routine. You have your assignments. Remember to keep your shields up and stay cloaked. You will still be visible because the hovercraft will blow the sand if you are close enough to the ground. And if you need to, you can teleport to me by calling me through your amulets.”

We headed to our hovercrafts and departed to the area of our respective challenges. I did a little reconnaissance since I had the final challenge. It would be a while before anyone got near it. I was excited to try my latest spell, a dynamometer with a GPS device of sorts able to detect magic and guide me to the source.

I flew my hovercraft high enough not to interfere with anything on the ground, then touched my bracelet and uttered the spell. I didn’t feel anything right away, but eventually felt the pull of magic. Now I needed to follow it and make sure it belonged in this universe. I guided my hovercraft toward the magical signal. The closer I got, the louder it pinged. When I was almost directly above whatever was emitting the magical signature, I hovered and searched, using my eyes and magical senses. Yes, there below me was the first of the challenges. It looked like it belonged there, so I moved on. I continued using my feelers to scan for any type of magical energy, hoping to find the same energy responsible for sucking me to the bottom of the oasis. Dark magic has a different taste and feel to it. It is an acrid taste with a slimy feel making my skin crawl.

I was at the second challenge when I got a hit, and again, it was as it should be. There was nothing out of the ordinary. I continued along then felt it batter my senses, making me shudder. Still, I forced myself to follow it anyway. It veered off to my right and away from the second challenge. I couldn’t see anything. Luckily, I sensed the source getting closer. Unable to see what caused the disturbance, I brought my craft down and landed it on the sand to get a better look. I made sure my bracelet and staff were set on high. If this evil confronted me, I would fry it first and ask questions later. You know what they say, it is better to seek forgiveness then to ask permission.

I had landed on the top of a large sand dune. There didn’t look like anything but sand as far as I could see. I could barely detect a small group of rocks and trees a hundred yards or so below my dune. Where are you? I know you are here. I turned to get back on my hovercraft when a shadow passed over me. I looked up in time to see a giant vulture diving at me. I threw myself to the left and narrowly missed being hit by the giant predator as it dove right at me. Damn it, there weren’t any birds of prey in the plans I’d seen.

I scrambled up and dashed toward my hovercraft. Whatever that thing was, it could see me. My cloaking either had no effect on it or it was tracking me another way. No worries. I have a few surprises for you, bird brain. I jumped onto my hovercraft, hit the throttle, and pulled it up into a steep climb. I looked around to find the vulture circling and coming my way again. I waited until it got twenty feet from me, then blasted it with my staff. Energy pulsed from my staff and struck the bird squarely in the chest. It screamed but kept coming right towards me. Shit. I dove and just missed being raked by its talons.

Enough of this, it was time to end this feather duster. I reached into my pocket for one of my ball bearings. I nosed the craft higher until I was the same height as the vulture. Then I waited until it flew towards me, then throttled up and sailed right toward it. Playing chicken with a vulture was not smart, but I needed to get close enough to throw the bearing at it, and besides, no one ever accused me of being smart, sexy yes, smart no. We were closing fast on one another and it opened its mouth to scream in defiance. I wouldn’t get a better opportunity. I threw the bearing and dipped my hovercraft, flying right under it as it sailed by. I didn’t wait around to see if I had gotten it, because if I was anywhere near it when it blew, the concussive force might knock me from the hovercraft. A thunderous explosion and a blinding flash told me all I needed to know. I needed to get in place for the fourth challenge, so had no time for a victory lap.

I made my way over to the fort built into the rocky hillside. This place was amazing. The original tribes had carved the city into the sandstone covering the desert. It was a good thing I was using a GPS or I never would have found this place. The entire city was built into the rocks and accessed through a series of tiny fissures in the rocks. This crevice was narrow and surrounded by steep, sheer cliffs at least a hundred meters high. The design team had done an excellent job of making this place look like an ancient city. In fact, it looked like a stage set out of Arabian Nights. The only thing missing were the tribes. I maneuvered my hovercraft over the city and waited to see who would show up first.

There was plenty of activity from scorpions, beetles, and God knew what else. I circled around the outer walls, then landed and walked into the city proper. I didn’t like the idea, but needed to walk to the buildings. Most of this place was below ground, so I landed near an entrance. I cloaked myself, but couldn’t escape the fact I left footprints in the sand. Scanning the immediate area, I looked around until I found a palm frond and cut it from the tree. I used it to cover my tracks until I got to the steps, then tossed it aside and went down the stairs. The solid stone would not give away my presence.

I was under the city, illuminated only by torches spaced along the outer walls. It was still dark but I saw well enough to walk. Halls branched in different directions, but I continued forward in the same hall. The plans indicated a large room ahead I believed was the treasury, one of the largest and most impressive of the halls. The place was starkly bare, and I had no idea how they could hide anything from view. However, I was relatively certain things weren’t as benign as they seemed. I just knew the design team had hidden challenges for the competitors. I mean, who was I kidding - this design team could have been nicknamed Torturers R Us.

The treasury sat empty except for the stone guardians standing on either side of the entrance. They were at least fifteen feet tall, appearing menacing as they loomed over the area. The room made a perfect circle. There were no corners. The other odd aspect was the irregularly placed square holes cut into the stone walls. They looked like small windows, except they didn’t open to the outside. Some sat high on the walls, others only a foot off the floor. As I walked around the room, I noticed a clear stone inlay two feet wide set into the floor serving as a path or border following the wall around the room. Worn sandstone covered the rest of the floor. The clear stone of the path looked almost translucent, almost like ice or an opaque piece of glass. I didn’t know enough about stone to identify it. Interesting, this wasn’t a good sign. I didn’t have time to explore further before I heard a scratching sound in the hall. I moved closer to the wall and waited to see what was coming.

It didn’t take long before the wolf barreled into the room. A shimmer and an audible pop told me the lycan had changed back into a man. He looked around the chamber before he entered, and then he approached the statues. The man surveyed the immediate area. He ran his hands over the surface of the statue on the right, obviously searching for something. He touched the statue’s arrow quiver, then all hell broke loose. Arrows filled the air from every irregular window. I flicked my shield up as my jaw dropped. The lycan dove for the doorway, but not before he took a few in his backside. Ouch, that will leave a mark. First, yesterday’s lycan lost toes, then this guy’s ass looked like a pin cushion. These guys weren’t Mensa material.

As soon as the lycan dove out of the room, the arrows stopped as if they had never been fired. The whole thing was creepy, game or no game. I began to think the design team was seriously twisted, and they had clearly graduated from Tormentors Anonymous. Before I could ponder the twisted nature of the designers further, I heard footsteps pounding down the hall and the vampire burst into the room.

He also studied the area before entering, then carefully entered the room and made his way around the circular chamber. I saw him look into a few of the windows and stoop to look at the floor. He again pulled out his instructions and appeared to be studying something before he refolded the paper and shoved it into his pocket. Cautiously, yet purposefully, he moved up to the statue on the left. Interesting. Much like the lycan before him, he ran his hands over and around the statue. I couldn’t see what he was doing. From my vantage point, it looked like both men had been frisking the statues. I was so not going there. Before I could ponder it any further, I heard a grinding noise. Just as the room started to turn, the door swung shut and sealed the room. Great! It was now too dark to see my hand in front of my face, and I was suffering from motion sickness. I had no flippin’ idea where I was, and no way to find out.

The room revolved for a time until the screeching of stone upon stone announced our final destination, then abruptly stopped, and the pathway with the clear stone illuminated the room with an eerie glow. I felt a shot of adrenalin, as I watched to see what happened next, anticipating God only knew what. After the lycan’s experience, I knew to keep my shield up and my head down. The only thing different in their methodical approaches was which statue they’d touched. The vampire seemed to be considering his options when he stepped over the illuminated tiles into the room. It looked like he was counting them as he moved to his right. When he was halfway around the room, he stopped again, pulling out his paper to scan it.